Published 12:47 IST, January 17th 2021

Crucial engine test for NASA's Space Launch System rocket cuts short

NASA ignited engines at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi at 4:27 pm local time (22:27 GMT) and the test finished little more than one minute into 'hot fire'.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
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NASA’s Launch System, or SLS rocket’s ‘hot fire’ final test of Green Run series on January 16 ended with an early shutdown. test plan h called for giant moon rocket’s four RS-25 engines to fire for a little more than eight minutes. However, as NASA ignited engines at Stennis Center in Mississippi at 4:27 pm local time (22:27 GMT), test finished a little more than one minute into hot fire. After SLS’s 212-foot (65-meter) tall core st was aborted earlier, a team assessing data said in a release that it will determine cause and draft a path forward. 

As SLS generated 1.6 million pounds of thrust while anchored in B-2 Test Stand, with at least 733,000 pounds of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen loed on rocket, engines ignited and engineers spotted a flash near engine four, around rmal protection blanket. A few seconds later, rocket h a total shutdown. NASA said in a statement, "At this point, test was fully automated. During firing, onboard software acted appropriately and initiated a safe shutdown of engines". John Shann, SLS program manr at Boeing, said at a press conference, "[If] we h an early shutdown, for whatever reason, we get all of engineering data we need to have high confidence in vehicle at about 250 seconds". However, NASA team could man data far lesser than 250 seconds.

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[Credits: NASA Television]

 

[Credits: NASA Television]

 

"Saturday’s test was an important step forward to ensure that core st of SLS rocket is rey for Artemis I mission, and to carry crew on future missions,” said NASA ministrator Jim Bridenstine, who attended test. “Although engines did t fire for full duration, team successfully worked through countdown, ignited engines, and gained valuable data to inform our path forward.”

Landing astronauts on Moon in 2024

NASA ministrator Jim Bridenstine said at a press conference after event, "t everything went according to script today". NASA’s hot fire for SLS was aimed at future launch out of Cape Canaveral kwn as Artemis I which would send NASA’s astronauts onboard Orion craft on lunar surface. NASA’s Green Run series of tests for SLS began in January 2020, when st was delivered from NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and installed in B-2 test stand at Stennis. w, team will inspect core st and its four RS-25 engines before determining next steps. "Under Artemis program, NASA is working to land first woman and next man on Moon in 2024", ncy said. 

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12:47 IST, January 17th 2021